photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference

Kansas and Oklahoma shake hands following OU's win on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City — The Kansas softball team opened its matchup against Oklahoma on Thursday with three straight hits and then did not record another for the remainder of the game.

Those three hits amounted to just one run. And in the ensuing innings, the Sooners did what the Sooners tend to do with their second-ranked scoring offense, piling on one score after another against multiple KU pitchers, and beat the Jayhawks 10-1 in five innings at Devon Park.

In what was almost certainly the last meeting between the two longtime conference foes before OU departs for the Southeastern Conference, the Sooners beat KU for the 23rd straight time dating back to 2016 and the 11th in fewer than seven innings during that period.

On this occasion, they ended the Jayhawks’ run in the Big 12 Conference tournament.

OU will advance to face BYU in a semifinal matchup Friday. The sixth-seeded Cougars added a new wrinkle to the Big 12’s NCAA Tournament outlook with an upset win over Oklahoma State on Thursday, bolstering their resume after they entered the day four spots below KU in the NCAA’s RPI rankings.

As for the Jayhawks, who have not made the tournament since 2015, their postseason fate is now beyond their control. KU coach Jennifer McFalls made the case for her team afterward, citing the strength of the league.

“I’m still hanging on just a little bit of hope,” she said. “A lot of it is out of our hands, and a lot depends on what happens in some of these conference tournaments with some of the other at-large bids.”

She also pointed out that to even have that hope on the final day has been a privilege rarely afforded to the KU softball team.

“Kansas softball was in the top 25, we were in the top 20, and our name hasn’t been there before, and we put Kansas softball on the map,” senior pitcher Kasey Hamilton said, “and I hope we get the chance to continue doing so.”

Added senior outfielder Angela Price: “I think after the game, we were focused on (the fact) that there’s still a little hope for us going to postseason. And we were just more positive in the fact that we didn’t give up, and it’s not like we laid down when we got in that hole … We kept yelling, kept fighting, being aggressive.”

After getting the final two outs of Wednesday’s win over Houston, Lizzy Ludwig made just her eighth career start against the Sooners. It was a rocky one as she allowed six runs in 1 1/3 innings, and Katie Brooks did not have much more success in relief. Hamilton, Wednesday’s starter, held OU scoreless in the final 1 2/3 before the run rule went into effect.

Ella Parker, Tiare Jennings and Rylie Boone each went 2-for-2 on the day for OU.

Catcher Lyric Moore drove in KU’s one run. She found a gap between first and second base, and Presley Limbaugh was able to come around to score, with Moore and Aynslee Linduff advancing into scoring position on the throw home.

They did not get any further. Linduff was not able to tag up on Hailey Cripe’s shallow flyout, and then Kelly Maxwell struck out Olivia Bruno and got Campbell Bagshaw to ground out.

“Our goal today was just to leave everything we had on the field,” McFalls said. “And I thought we came out with a lot of fire and intensity, we kind of had them on their heels a little bit. You know, that’s just an opportunity that if we could have strung a couple more hits together and got something going, (it) would have been a pretty significant momentum opportunity.”

The Jayhawks’ advantage did not last long, as Ludwig issued full-count walks to the first two batters and then Jennings hit a full-count single off Ludwig’s leg. OU third baseman Alyssa Brito’s deep drive landed just fair along the first-base line and brought home two runs.

Alynah Torres added another run with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1, and after the second out, Kinzie Hansen doubled to the wall in left-center field to score another.

OU concluded its scoring for the first inning in an odd manner, with Moore throwing to second in an attempt to catch Boone stealing, and KU recording the out but Hansen scoring from third in the meantime to extend the lead to four runs.

Ashlyn Anderson’s leadoff walk for the Jayhawks was quickly nullified when the Sooners’ Kasidi Pickering turned a flyout by Sara Roszak into a double play at first base.

Instead, OU expanded its advantage with a home run by Jayda Coleman that chased Ludwig and brought in KU’s usual secondary starter Brooks.

After Brooks allowed back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners, misfortune struck for the Jayhawks when Brito attempted a squeeze play and Moore did not maintain control of the ball as she attempted to tag out Parker at home. Brito later scored on a wild pitch to put the Sooners up 8-1 at the conclusion of the second inning.

KU opened its third inning by putting on two more baserunners in short order but brought neither home after a strikeout, sacrifice bunt and flyout.

Brooks got KU its first strikeout of the game, but the Sooners didn’t take long to muster some more offense, crossing the run-rule threshold on a two-RBI double by Parker and prompting KU to switch to Hamilton, who was steadier.

Ultimately, the Jayhawks closed the year with a 1-11 stretch dating back to mid-April, with nine of those losses coming in series sweeps against BYU, Oklahoma State and Texas.

“We were playing so well with a lot of confidence,” McFalls said. “And then we kind of just hit a little bit of a wall. And even in those series, it’s not like we played terrible, we just couldn’t get anything to go our way a time or two, and we had some opportunities in our hands that we just didn’t finish out.”

The results put KU in an uncertain position ahead of the NCAA Softball Selection Show, which is set for Sunday at 6 p.m. Central Time on ESPN2.

“So really, we just want a chance right now, because I think we have the potential to play our very best softball in these next coming weeks,” Hamilton said. “But we’re just going to hope and pray this weekend that we get the chance to do so.”

photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference

Kansas shortstop Hailey Cripe makes a throw against Oklahoma on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Oklahoma City.

photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference

Kansas pitcher Kasey Hamilton delivers against Oklahoma on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Oklahoma City.

photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference

Kansas’ Addison Purvis bats against Oklahoma on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Oklahoma City.

photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference

Kansas pitcher Katie Brooks delivers during the game against Oklahoma on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Oklahoma City.

photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference

Kansas’ Lyric Moore swings at a low pitch during the game against Oklahoma on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Oklahoma City.

photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference

Kansas’ Presley Limbaugh slides into home in front of Oklahoma catcher Kinzie Hansen for a run in the first inning on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Oklahoma City.

photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference

Kansas pitcher Lizzy Ludwig winds up during the game against Oklahoma on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Oklahoma City.

photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference

Kansas center fielder Angela Price makes a throw during the game against Oklahoma on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Oklahoma City.

photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference

Kansas’ Ashlyn Anderson attempts to dive back to first base as Cydney Sanders completes a double play for Oklahoma on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Oklahoma City.

photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference

Kansas right fielder Aynslee Linduff leaps for a catch against Oklahoma on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Oklahoma City.

photo by: Brett Rojo/For The Big 12 Conference

Kansas center fielder Angela Price makes a throw from the outfield against Oklahoma on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Oklahoma City.